Taking that first step out of your comfort zone is always the most difficult. But once you do, a whole new world opens up. Spring is the best time to do it. Look outside, draw inspiration from nature and bring it indoors.

Challenge yourself to be creative. If you are one of those who would rather chew on tin foil than experiment with a home improvement project, start simple. Pick a room or two and give it a quick punch of color with a new accessory, piece of furniture or fresh coat of paint.

That is exactly what I did after a recent week at the High Point Home Furnishings Market in North Carolina. I was inspired to bring some of the bold colors I saw back home to defy Kansas City’s “Tan Town” image.

Our clients frequently ask about color and trends they see in Elle Décor, Veranda and other shelter magazines, but so often they are are unable to make the first step. I am a big believer in change, but not in trends — especially in home interiors, where colors should be a reflection of décor and personal attitude.

I repainted the showrooms in our furniture and design boutique with the vibrant Sassy Green by Sherwin-Williams. It felt strong and lifelike, picking up so many wonderful complements from nature, bringing what we love about the outdoors in. Clean, sharp whites, coppery browns, silver and even deep reds were enlivened against this strong new backdrop. Existing and new furniture and décor pieces took on fresh dimensions.

Afraid you can’t pull off vivid color in an entire room? Try painting an accent wall: A jolt of color can add drama and style to any ordinary space. With the neutral or tan shades that are prevalent in most homes, options for an accent wall are endless.

Try something fresh. Take your mind to South Beach and experiment with a citrus color, such as Sherwin-Williams’ Mango. I used this vibrant color on an accent wall to give the room an amazing new vibe. The artwork came to life, and the lamps and accessories took on an entirely different feel. Painting an accent wall not only gives the room new verve, it also offers a canvas for creative expression.

In addition to color inspiration, Mother Nature is a wonderful — and free — resource for reinvigorating your interiors. For example, I gathered fallen tree branches, spray-painted them white, tied them to small tacks with clear fishing wire and hung them against a lilac-colored wall to create an indoor forest. Artificial flowers added to the branches gave it color, texture and a softer appearance.

The indoor forest can be easily moved to other areas indoors or out on the patio, enhanced with fresh flowers or colorful votive candles for a summer dinner party. You might adapt it to a child’s room for a wonderful splash of fun. Play with putting lights woven in the branches or use colored clothespins to attach photographs to the branches. Involve your children in the process. It is so important for kids to be fed spoonfuls of creative opportunities. Let them feel the power of being creative.

Spring is the perfect time to check out of “Tan Town” and go for the bold. Crack open the window to the outdoors and let the creativity in during the most beautiful and transformative season.

Source: Kansascity.com

Reach Patrick Madden, a partner at Madden-McFarland Furniture & Design Boutique, 1903 W. 135th St. in Leawood, at pat@maddenmcfarland.com.

SketchUp is the cornerstone of our Project Management Modeling process. When they learned about what we were doing up here in Summit County, they came up with some cameras to see for themselves what this PMM thing was all about.

One of the best ways to understand what it is like to intimately know your home before construction starts and to have an active part in the design of your dream home, is to speak with people who have experienced it from the client end. Enter Donna and Bruce: Trilogy homeowners, retired professors and full-time Summit County residents in the Silverthorne neighborhood of Hamilton Creek.

Much of this home was designed during “real-time design sessions” in the Trilogy office. This is where everyone’s imagination runs wild and Michael sketches in the computer to give these ideas life and show what they would look like in a real world application. Donna’s water feature was dreamed up during a real-time design session at the Trilogy offices. Bruce’s office built-in’s were also done in a real-time design sessions. There was space in the lower level that could have been wasted in a lesser thought out design, that became a hidden office with a sliding bookcase for when their son visits. Bruce has a workshop space to fix his bikes. Every inch of the home was examined for efficiency and owner approved before we broke ground.

One of the most beautiful design aspects of their mountain modern home in Hamilton Creek is the chartreuse and yellow colors that pop throughout the home. When the aspen leaves turn gold in the fall it looks like Donna and Michael went for a walk in the woods to pluck the colors right from nature. You can see a few of those shots in this video.

Thanks to Donna and Bruce for graciously opening up their home to the SketchUp video crew, and to our friends at SketchUp for always being curious about how their product impacts industries and lives around the globe.

Enjoy!